South Bend, Indiana — The United
States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

PLEA (before Magistrate Judge
Christopher A. Nuechterlein)

ØJavier Gomez-Sanchez, 31, of South Bend, Indiana, Indiana
pled guilty to the felony offense of knowingly or intentionally distributing a
mixture or substance containing methamphetamine. The magistrate is recommending
that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to
the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an
investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency.Sentencing has been set for 6/5/2014.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank
Schaffer.

DISPOSITIONS(before
District Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr.)

ØCarmen Leon, 44, of Edinburg, Texas was sentenced to
240 months imprisonment with 5 years supervised
release after pleading guilty to the felony offenses of conspiracy to
distribute narcotics and conspiracy to commit money laundering.According to documents filed in this case,
beginning in approximately 2000 and continuing into early 2010, Leon knowingly
agreed with others to possess and distribute various illegal drugs throughout
the country including Indiana, Texas, Wisconsin, Michigan and North Carolina.
The illegal drugs distributed included cocaine, marijuana and
methamphetamine.Leon distributed these
drugs using several other persons who would drive the drugs to specific
locations and at times pick up proceeds from the sale of drugs and return them
to Leon in Texas. From about 2003 to 2006, Leon supplied cocaine in Milwaukee
on a regular basis for distribution.In
February of 2009, the Border Patrol at Falfurrias, Texas seized approximately
26 kilograms of cocaine Leon had intended to distribute.During the same time period Leon utilized the
buying and selling of nationwide auctioned automobiles to conceal her drug
profits.Leon started a business known
as CL Auto Sales that operated primarily in Texas for the purpose of
concealment of her drug profits. This case was the result of an investigation
by the Drug Enforcement Agency.This
case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Grimmer.

ØMaria San Juana Fernandez, 41, of Edinburg, Texas was
sentenced to 9 months imprisonment with 2 years
supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of structuring
transactions to evade reporting requirements and penalty.According to documents filed in this case, in
May 2007, Fernandez opened CL Auto Sales which was in actuality a business used
for money laundering from illegal narcotics activities.Fernandez structured bank deposits in small
enough volumes to avoid banking and federal scrutiny.This case was the result of an investigation
by the Drug Enforcement Agency.This
case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Grimmer.

ØCesar Leon, 23, of Edinburg, Texas was sentenced to a
total of 70 months imprisonment for with 2 years
supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offenses of conspiracy
to distribute marijuana and structuring money transactions to evade reporting
requirements.According to documents
filed in this case, during the fall of2008, Leon conspired with several persons
to distribute marijuana in various states (including Texas, North Carolina,
Illinois, Michigan and Indiana) throughout the United States. Marijuana brought
into Texas would be shipped by various means, including by vehicles, to these
locations where the drugs were unloaded and distributed to others.Proceeds from these transactions were used at
times to purchase vehicles. Leon was provided the funds those purchases and
made cash payments under $10,000 in order to avoid the car dealers’
responsibility to report cash transactions over $10,000.This case was the result of an investigation
by the Drug Enforcement Agency.This
case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Grimmer.

ØAbdul Amin Shabazz, 39, of South Bend, Indiana was
sentenced to 21 months imprisonment with 2 years
supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of felon in
possession of a firearm.According to
documents filed in this case, Shabazz possessed a .32 caliber pistol which he
attempted to discard along with a bag of marijuana while he ran from police
officers.Shabazz has prior convictions
including robbery, carrying a handgun without a license, possession of cocaine,
and being a felon in possession of a firearm.This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This
case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ken Hays.

ØJose Patlan, 38, of Longansport, Indiana was sentenced to 151 months
imprisonment with 4 years supervised release after
pleading guilty to the felony offense of knowingly and intentionally conspiring
to deliver a mixture or substance that contained over five hundred (500) grams
of cocaine and/or over 100 kilograms of marijuana.According to documents filed in this case, between May 2012, and July 2012, Patlan
was involved with distributing marijuana in the Logansport, Indiana area.Law enforcement raided Patlan’s
residence on July 16, 2012, and discovered marijuana and $1,500 from drug
transactions. This case was the result of
an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United
States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

DISPOSTIONS (before District
Judge Jon E. De Guilio)

ØDarius Witherspoon, 21, of South Bend, Indiana was
sentenced to 154 months, 3 years supervised release and to pay $66,965 in
restitution after pleading guilty to the felony offense of bank robbery,
assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a firearm in relation to a crime of
violence.According to documents filed
in this case, on July 10, 2013, Witherspoon with accomplices stole
approximately $13,165 from a bank in Edwardsburg, Michigan. On August 7, 2013,
Witherspoon with accomplices also stole approximately $53,800 belonging from a
bank in Bristol, Indiana.Witherspoon
brandished a firearm in both robberies. This case was the result of an
investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United
States Attorney Donald Schmid.

ØHoracio Hernandez, 51, of Goshen, Indiana was sentenced to 46
months imprisonment with 3 years supervised release
after pleading guilty to the felony offense of reentry as a deported
alien.According to documents filed in
this case, in May 2011, Hernandez was deported as an aggravated felon through
the Laredo, Texas port of entry. After his deportation, Hernandez illegally
re-entered the country and was later arrested.This case was the result of an investigation by the United States
Marshals Service.This case was
prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Maciejczyk